OpenGD77 CPS ver 2021-3-2 on WIndows 10

OpenGD77CPS
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WD9AGT
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2020 4:08 am
Location: Central Indiana

OpenGD77 CPS ver 2021-3-2 on WIndows 10

Post by WD9AGT » Tue Mar 16, 2021 10:34 pm

I have been trying to install OpenGD77 onto my GD77 radio. I have installed the latest CPS on my Windows 10 guest per some other suggestions. I need to back up the device and can't get the backup capability to work as I can't see a com port as needed.

I have de-installed all CPS software and then installed OpenGD77 CPS ver 2021-3-2.

Environment here is:
OS X 11.2.2
Parallels 16
Windows Version 10.0.19042 Build 19042
OpenGD77 CPS 2021-3-2

I attempt to do the backup using the Extras, OpenGD77 support. The window opens but when I select any of the backup options, it opens a window looking for a Com port (not there). So any suggestions as to how i fix this?

VK3KYY
Posts: 7437
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:25 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: OpenGD77 CPS ver 2021-3-2 on WIndows 10

Post by VK3KYY » Tue Mar 16, 2021 10:55 pm

WD9AGT wrote:
Tue Mar 16, 2021 10:34 pm
I have been trying to install OpenGD77 onto my GD77 radio. I have installed the latest CPS on my Windows 10 guest per some other suggestions. I need to back up the device and can't get the backup capability to work as I can't see a com port as needed.

I have de-installed all CPS software and then installed OpenGD77 CPS ver 2021-3-2.

Environment here is:
OS X 11.2.2
Parallels 16
Windows Version 10.0.19042 Build 19042
OpenGD77 CPS 2021-3-2

I attempt to do the backup using the Extras, OpenGD77 support. The window opens but when I select any of the backup options, it opens a window looking for a Com port (not there). So any suggestions as to how i fix this?
The COM port is not accessible to Windows 10 via Parallels
When the CPS displays the message about selecting the COM port this is a fallback, as by default the CPS looks for a COM port labelled "OpenGD77",but if it can't find a COM port of that name it prompts the user to select a COM port.

However, if the named COM port does not exist or it does exist but is not named, AFIK selecting the COM port if its not named, probably means its not working correctly, so the fallback rarely works.


Look in the Windows 10 device manager and make sure that you have a COM port called "OpenGD77"

I've no experience of using Parallels, I always Dual boot my Macs using bootcamp, rather than attempting to use virtualisation.

Getting USB and COM ports in general via virtualisation is always fraught with problems. I use VirtualBox sometimes on my PC for Linux and other Windows versions, and invariable the USB connections from the virtual system back to the host system either don't work, or are difficult to make work.

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F1RMB
Posts: 2488
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 5:42 am
Location: Grenoble, France

Re: OpenGD77 CPS ver 2021-3-2 on WIndows 10

Post by F1RMB » Wed Mar 17, 2021 6:24 am

Hi,

I don't know about Parallel and OS-X, but under Linux, you need some specific settings to have the USB connection to work (on the host and the guest):

1) ensure your user account can access the device (e.g be part of the dialout group under Ubuntu variants),
2) release the ownship by the usbhid kernel driver (while un bootloader mode)
3) install the VirtualBox guest addition (usb drivers included)
4) enable the USB device in the virtual machine.

1 and 2 are handled by an udev rule file, provided in the OpenGD-77 source repository, in the /Linux directory.


Cheers.
---
Daniel

WD9AGT
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2020 4:08 am
Location: Central Indiana

Re: OpenGD77 CPS ver 2021-3-2 on WIndows 10

Post by WD9AGT » Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:58 pm

Based on the comments here and those on FB plus my own research, I think I'll just wait till I get home in April to load the GD-77. I have another Macbook Pro (older, 2009 version) that I will backup and reload with BootLoader so I can get into Windows mode so I can use the CPS.

OS X 11.2.2 sees the radio as "MCU Mouse Demo" and reflects that definition to the Parallels hypervisor. Once there, Window 10 sees it as a "Generic USB Hub". I've gone into Regedit under Windows to fake it out to the OpenGD77 Com3 that it wants to see in the CPS. It's been suggested that if I load the new firmware, the problem corrects itself but I see some serious issues there as well. If I brick this, then it will be another month or 2 before I can fix it.

Update as of 1917hrs EDT:
I went ahead and loaded the OpenGD77 firmware. All went well and it didn't brick the radio (I really didn't expect it to) so now I'm off to either find a codeplug that will work for South Carolina, Tennessee, and Indiana. I hope to find one that I can at least learn from.

I'm just getting back into radio so I find this interesting. I'm not unfamiliar with analog nor am I unfamiliar with the networking aspect. I did networking before I retired, actually started with DARPANET in 1967. I just find it interesting that we're now doing digital on the ham bands. We could have been doing this long ago, maybe.

At any rate, thanks for all your help and your expertise.

VK3KYY
Posts: 7437
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:25 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: OpenGD77 CPS ver 2021-3-2 on WIndows 10

Post by VK3KYY » Wed Mar 17, 2021 11:47 pm

The reason some systems see it as a mouse demo, is because the USB part of the firmware is based on the mouse demo, and uses its VID/PID

Somehow the mouse demo VID/PID must be in the driver database on some systems, and it automatically gets assigned as that.

USB is a minefield for non-commercial projects, as it costs $$$ to register to get a VID/PID.
There are organizations who issue free VID/PID numbers for some project types, but we would not qualify because basically the firmware is limited to Amateur Radio / Non commercial use only, and also uses large sections from the official firmware, for which we don't have written permission to use or distribute, and which is protected by encryption which had to be cracked in the first place to allow any firmware to be loaded onto the radio at all.


So we are stuck with using the demo VID/PID, but overriding the default driver with our own driver.

But vven the Windows driver is effectively a hack, as Microsoft prevented un-signed drivers being installed as far back as Windows 7, and we have to use a work-around system, called LibWDI, which does some clever tricks to self sign and install the unsigned driver etc.

Signed drivers cost are extremely high, (AFIK thousands of dollars need to be paid to Microsoft to have a signed driver for Windows)

KB8AOB
Posts: 29
Joined: Sun Dec 29, 2019 7:44 pm
Location: West Virginia

Re: OpenGD77 CPS ver 2021-3-2 on WIndows 10

Post by KB8AOB » Fri Mar 19, 2021 8:29 pm

Loading my GD-77 with new firmware is a breeze. But unable these days to read or write a CP. I am guessing the updates to Proific on 2/13 and 2/22 by MS have not helped. Is there any option that works? I have Mac (M1), Linux, and W10 boxes but I do not see a clear reliable path these days...

VK3KYY
Posts: 7437
Joined: Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:25 am
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: OpenGD77 CPS ver 2021-3-2 on WIndows 10

Post by VK3KYY » Fri Mar 19, 2021 11:06 pm

KB8AOB wrote:
Fri Mar 19, 2021 8:29 pm
Loading my GD-77 with new firmware is a breeze. But unable these days to read or write a CP. I am guessing the updates to Proific on 2/13 and 2/22 by MS have not helped. Is there any option that works? I have Mac (M1), Linux, and W10 boxes but I do not see a clear reliable path these days...
There are python tools to read and write the CP. People have posted to links to them, but I don't remember where those links are.

The CPS also runs under Wine, so there is a path to modify and upload the codeplug on non-windows machines, albeit not as easy as on Windows

ik1mhm
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2020 3:17 pm

Re: OpenGD77 CPS ver 2021-3-2 on WIndows 10

Post by ik1mhm » Tue Jun 01, 2021 12:44 pm

The solution is to connect the cable to the computer and you will see that it no longer asks you for the port but for the Backup directly

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